The subject matter herein generally relates to a medical imaging, and more specifically, to a system and method of navigating an object through an imaged subject.
Image-guided surgery is a developing technology that generally provides a surgeon with a virtual roadmap into a patient's anatomy. This virtual roadmap allows the surgeon to reduce the size of entry or incision into the patient, which can minimize pain and trauma to the patient and result in shorter hospital stays. Examples of image-guided procedures include laparoscopic surgery, thoracoscopic surgery, endoscopic surgery, etc. Conventional medical diagnostic imaging tools such as computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), ultrasound, radiological machines, etc. can be useful in providing static image guiding assistance in such procedures. The above-described imaging tools can provide two-dimensional or three-dimensional images that can be displayed to provide a surgeon or clinician with an illustrative map of an area of interest of a patient's body.
Certain navigation systems have been developed for monitoring the position and movement of a surgical instrument or object relative the above-described images. Generally, as a surgeon moves the medical instrument with respect to the patient's anatomy, virtual images of the instrument or object are displayed relative to the acquired images. These certain conventional navigation systems employ the use of passive articulated mechanical arms, electromagnetic detection, optical detection, and ultrasonic detection to track a location of the instrument with respect to the patient's anatomy. Computer programmed algorithms are then employed to track the spatial relationship between the tracked instrument or object and the acquired image.
There is a need for a system and method of tracking to enhance the quality and accuracy in illustrating a tracked location of the object relative to the surrounding anatomical features and structures of the imaged subject.